Use the Teacher Transfer script for OneDrive-hosted Class Notebooks

The Teacher Transfer script helps transfer a OneDrive-hosted OneNote Class Notebook from one teacher to another. It copies the notebook and its contents to the new teacher's OneDrive, rebuilds the Class Notebook metadata and permissions, and can optionally remove access to the original notebook.

Note

This script is currently in testing. Use it with a small pilot first, validate the copied notebook, and share feedback with Microsoft before using it broadly.

When to use this script

Use this script when:

  • A Class Notebook is hosted in a teacher's OneDrive.
  • A new teacher needs to become the primary owner of the notebook.
  • The new teacher is already a co-teacher on the original notebook.
  • You need to preserve student content while moving the notebook to the new teacher's OneDrive.

You don't need this script for Class Notebooks that are backed by Microsoft Teams or Microsoft 365 LTI, where teacher access is managed through the team or class container.

What the script does

The script:

  1. Copies the Class Notebook from the original teacher's OneDrive to the co-teacher's OneDrive.
  2. Preserves notebook sections and student content.
  3. Rebuilds the standard Class Notebook permission structure.
  4. Sets the new teacher as the primary owner of the copied notebook.
  5. Keeps student sections private to each student.
  6. Keeps the Content Library read-only for students.
  7. Preserves Collaboration Space behavior.
  8. Optionally revokes access to the original notebook.

The script doesn't notify students automatically. After the transfer, the new teacher shares the new notebook link with students when ready.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

  • PowerShell 7 installed. Download it from Install PowerShell.

  • The Teacher Transfer script: Copy-ClassNotebookToCoTeacher.ps1

  • A co-teacher account that has access to the original Class Notebook.

  • Admin consent approval for the Microsoft Graph delegated permissions requested by the script.

The script uses Microsoft Graph and runs under the signed-in user's context. The first time it runs in a tenant, it may request admin consent for delegated permissions related to Files, Sites, Notes, and Users.

If your tenant uses admin consent workflow, an admin can review the request in the Microsoft Entra admin center. For more information, see Review admin consent requests.

Install the required Microsoft Graph PowerShell modules

  1. Open PowerShell 7.
  2. Run the following command: 
    Install-Module Microsoft.Graph.Authentication, Microsoft.Graph.Files, Microsoft.Graph.Sites, Microsoft.Graph.Users -Scope CurrentUser
  3. If prompted to trust the PSGallery repository, type Y, and then press Enter.

Run the Teacher Transfer script

Important

Ensure you're using the most recent version of this script at aka.ms/OneNoteEDUScripts.

  1. Save the script to a folder on the co-teacher's computer.
  2. In PowerShell 7, go to the folder where you saved the script.
  3. Run the script: 
    .\Copy-ClassNotebookToCoTeacher.ps1
  4. When the browser sign-in window opens, sign in with the co-teacher's school account.
  5. Follow the prompts in the script to select the source notebook and create the new copy.
  6. When the script finishes, open the copied notebook and confirm that the notebook content and permissions look correct.

Rename the copied notebook

Give the copied notebook a name that clearly identifies the new owner or class context.

For example, rename:

  • Year 10 Science - Jones

to:

  • Year 10 Science - Smith

This helps avoid confusion if the original teacher still has access to the original notebook during the transition.

Share the new notebook with students

After you verify the copied notebook:

  1. Open the copied Class Notebook.
  2. Use the standard Manage Notebook flow, or share the OneDrive link, to distribute the new notebook link.
  3. Tell students when they should begin using the new notebook.
  4. Confirm that students can access their own sections and expected shared areas.

The script doesn't automatically send notifications so the new teacher can control when students move to the copied notebook.

Verify permissions after transfer

After the script runs, check that:

  • Teachers have write access throughout the notebook.
  • Each student has write access only to their own student section group.
  • Locked notebooks preserve read-only student access where expected.
  • Students have read-only access to the Content Library.
  • Collaboration Space access works as expected.
  • The new teacher is the primary owner of the copied notebook.
  • Users from the original notebook have equivalent access on the copied notebook.

Optional: Remove access to the original notebook

After you confirm the copied notebook is working, you can remove access to the original notebook if your transition plan requires it.

This action helps prevent teachers or students from continuing to use the old notebook by mistake.

Caution

Don't remove access to the original notebook until you confirm that the copied notebook contains the expected content and permissions.

Send feedback to Microsoft

Because this script is still in testing, share feedback about:

  • Any transfer failures or error messages.
  • Missing notebook content.
  • Permission issues.
  • Student access issues.
  • Confusing prompts or setup steps.
  • Scenarios where an admin-run version would be required.
  • Scenarios involving Team-to-Team or SharePoint-backed notebook migration.

Include the script version, tenant context, notebook details, and a summary of what happened.